Savvy early-stage marketers often find themselves with a team constructed mostly (sometimes entirely) out of external collaborators. From PR agencies to brand strategy consultants, copywriters to designers, and advisors both formal and informal - the talent orbiting your marketing department can be what makes or breaks your brand. Treating these essential contributors like employees or simple transactional service providers can blunt their efficacy, limit their contributions, and even sour their willingness to keep you as a client.